STALKER FOLLOWED WOMAN HOME ON HIS MOTORBIKE
A motorcyclist who stalked a woman he had never met, following her from her workplace to her local area, has been sentenced by Blackburn Magistrates’ Court.The court heard that just a week after the initial incident, the same motorbike rider was seen circling outside the woman’s place of employment, repeatedly passing by and peering through the windows.
The offender, Oliver Taylor, aged 20, of Manchester Road, Haslingden, was already serving a suspended prison sentence imposed only three weeks earlier for a separate harassment case involving another victim.
Taylor admitted to charges of stalking and, in a separate matter, possession of a knife in a public space.
He received a six-week custodial sentence for the stalking offence, with an additional three weeks activated from his previous suspended sentence.
District Judge Alexandra Preston addressed the distress experienced by the woman, saying: “She didn’t know you.
It is not right to follow a female home and is obviously going to make her scared and uncomfortable.” Prosecutor Victoria Forrest told the court the woman had a consistent routine, catching a taxi home from her job in Haslingden to her residence in Stacksteads.
While waiting at the taxi rank, she noticed a motorbike passing by three times within 15 minutes before it parked across the street.
The stalking occurred between 4 and 13 June.
“When she got in the taxi, the motorbike moved off ahead of her and the rider appeared to be glancing back,” said Miss Forrest.
“Even the taxi driver remarked that the behaviour was a bit strange.” Concerned for her safety, the woman asked the driver not to take her directly to her home, fearing the rider might discover her address.
Roughly a week later, she spotted the same biker near her workplace.
“Between 11am and 1pm, he passed by nine times,” said Miss Forrest.
“Both she and a colleague observed that he was looking in as he rode past.” In a separate incident, Taylor went to a police station and used the external yellow phone to inform officers that he was in possession of a knife and considering self-harm.
When police arrived, he identified himself and informed them that he had a knife tucked into his top pocket.
He complied fully with officers’ instructions, placing his hands behind his back to be handcuffed before the weapon was recovered.
Defence solicitor Mark Williams stated that his client had never appeared in court until his prior conviction three weeks earlier.
“He is now facing a custodial sentence,” Mr Williams said.
He described Taylor’s conduct as “bizarre,” noting, “I have asked him why, but there is no reason I can establish from talking to him.
He doesn’t know the victim but for some reason, he has fixated on this lady.” Mr Williams added that Taylor has learning difficulties and had been educated at a special needs school.
Regarding the knife incident, he explained that Taylor had become distressed due to not being allowed to see his child.
This emotional strain led him to consider self-harm, but he instead chose to report himself to the authorities.
“Again, that is strange behaviour,” said Mr Williams.
